Saturday, July 31, 2010
A LITTLE WARM TAKES BIG STEP IN JIM DANDY
By Jenny Kellner
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A Little Warm set himself up for a run at the division leaders Saturday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course, wearing down Miner's Reserve in the stretch and going on to post a 1 ¾-length victory in the 47th running of the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy for 3-year-olds.
Ridden by John Velazquez, the Stormin Fever colt tracked Miner's Reserve through fractions of 23.32, 46.80 and 1:10.82, moving up to collar the pacesetter at the head of the stretch and gaining the lead with 200 yards to go. Edging away in the final strides, A Little Warm hit the wire in 1:47.98 for the 1 1/8th mile race, the traditional prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes on Saturday, August 28.
Since 1964, eight Jim Dandy winners have gone on to win the Travers, most recently Flower Alley (2005), Bernardini (2006) and Street Sense (2007).
"If he comes out of this race great, count us in [the Travers]," said Tony Dutrow, who trains A Little Warm for Edward P. Evans. "I felt strongly he was going to run a terrific race, but I didn't know if he was going to be good enough to win."
Velazquez, aboard for the second time, liked what he got from the bay colt and thought he would handle the 1 ¼ mile "Midsummer
"You can place him wherever you want and let the speed go," said Velazquez. "When you ask him, he's there for you. That's what I like about him. I don't think he'll have a problem with the [1 ¼ miles] if he rates like he did today."
Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, who saddled both the second-place finisher and the beaten favorite, Fly Down, who was fifth, had mixed emotions after the race.
"Fly Down just didn't fire," said Zito of the Belmont Stakes runner-up. "Hopefully he comes back well and we'll try to regroup for the next race. I'm happy for Miner's Reserve and sad for Fly Down. We'll just regroup and hopefully come back in the Travers."
Afleet Express, the second choice in the field of eight, was three-quarters of a length back in third, followed by Friend Or Foe, favored Fly Down, Steinbeck, Aikenite, and Stormy's Majesty. Winslow Homer was scratched in favor of running in Sunday's Curlin Stakes at the Spa.
Jimmy Jerkens, trainer of Afleet Express, was pleased with the effort put forth by the son of Afleet Alex in his second start around two turns.
"He was making forward motion and gaining on the leader, so that's always a good sign," said Jerkens. "He got a little discouraged getting bottled up on the rail, and getting hit with all that dirt. When he got out in the clear he took off again, and I was really happy to see him come on again because it looked like turning for home he was in big trouble."
A Little Warm earned $300,000 for the victory, his second straight, and returned $10.20 for a $2 win bet as the 4-1 third choice. Overall, A Little Warm is now 4-4-0 from 10 starts, including a victory in the Spectacular Bid at
Returning from a three-month layoff in an allowance at
"He ran the way we wanted him to at
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